Tiny Ridgetop takes Civil War re-enactment to next level

Aug. 19, 2013

Ridgetop's 0.9-mile-long train tunnel is on the same stretch of railroad tracks that Confederate cavalry leader John Hunt Morgan defended from Union troops during the Civil War. / Samantha Hearn / The Tennessean

Confederate re-enactors stand ready by their cannons during last year's Civil War re-enactment at Ridgetop Station Park. / Josh Cross / Gannett Tennessee

Ridgetop, known for having only one intersection with stoplights, was a popular destination a century ago for wealthy Nashvillians who purchased summer homes to escape the heat in the higher elevation of Robertson County. / Samantha Hearn / The Tennessean

Ridgetop's Garden Club has achieved Level 1 Arboretum status for its Station Park, which is home to over 35 different species of trees. / Samantha Hearn / The Tennessean

Ridgetop's tunnel was built in 1902 and took four years to complete. It stands over 22 feet high and is 4700 feet long. / Samantha Hearn / The Tennessean

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Take a drive north on U.S. Highway 41 and you will see less and less city, more and more country. As you inch up the “ridge,” as residents call it, you pass between blasted rock on your right and rolling hills of trees on your left. Once you’ve reached the top of the ridge, you just might miss it if you blink.

You are now in Ridgetop, a city with a population of less than 2,000 that boasts only one intersection with stoplights, two elementary schools and less than 3 square miles of suburban country living. With a speed limit of 40, you’ll pass through Robertson County’s southernmost city in less than three minutes, and that’s without speeding.

Driving through this tiny town, visitors might not think it boasts any historical significance. But residents of Ridgetop take pride in preserving their past, and for the past five years they’ve celebrated with a Civil War re-enactment, traditionally held at Ridgetop Station Park.

This year, however, coordinator Gary Lima and his team of re-enactors faced problems when their event grew too large for the park.

“The last two years were great,” said Lima. “The city park commissioner and I met in January, and she said that we’ve basically outgrown (the park),” as attendance has increased to nearly 600 people.

Lima said he met with others involved with the event, and after praying about it, they decided to give up.

“Not two weeks later, out of nowhere, I was connected with someone from my church,” he said. “Now, we’re going to hold it at Highland Rim Speedway and do a joint event that combines the Southern history of racing, which started with racing horses, with the history of our community.”

The October event, dubbed Morgan on the Rim — Southern 200, will tie the community’s love of racing with the fascination behind John Hunt Morgan, the Confederate cavalry leader who swept away federal forces from Ridgetop in 1862.

“Morgan was a cavalier, debonair, very handsome,” said Lima. “He was so handsome women would just go out and spy for him, but he was also a great leader and very brave.”

Morgan led federal troops away from the rail lines in a series of trestle battles in the area.

“It wasn’t a huge battle that happened here, but it was a good scuffle,” said Lima. “The railroads and train tracks out here lead to Nashville. Knocking out rail lines has to do with stopping armies. Morgan used some of the information from his lady spies to know what was going on with the enemy, what they planned to do with the railroads.”

Historic tunnel

Residents and visitors can take a short drive and a 30-minute hike to visit Ridgetop’s 0.9-mile-long train tunnel on the same stretch of railroad tracks that Morgan defended against Union troops.

“At the bottom of the ridge, you just take a turn on Baker’s Station Road, keep going, and you’ll eventually run into the train tracks,” said Buddy Frank, who was a police officer in Ridgetop for 20 years. “Park to the right and then just walk on down until you reach the tunnel.”

The tunnel, which began construction in 1902 and was completed four years later, has attracted visitors since its earliest days, as wealthy Nashville residents bought summer homes in higher-elevation Ridgetop in the early 1900s to escape the heat.

The tunnel is used today by CSX Corp., but it also serves as a lesser-known hiking spot for adventurous ecotourists.

Ridgetop isn’t just a place for Civil War re-enactments and history, however. Its Station Park is also Robertson County’s only arboretum, a botanical garden devoted to trees.

“We just recently achieved Level 1 Arboretum status,” said Elizabeth Webb, a city alderwoman and founder and president of the Ridgetop Garden Club. “We’ve got 35 different species of trees, and we’re labeling them so that our neighbors can all come and see what we have to be proud of in our town.”

The Ridgetop Garden Club currently is restoring the garden house at Station Park.

“Ridgetop is just such a unique little place,” said Webb. “I’ve been here since 1986, and I’ve seen it just grow and change so much. It still has this certain charm about it, though, and I think that’s what makes it so special for us.”